Chrysoberyl

Chrysoberyl is of the same family as Emerald, Aquamarine and Alexandrite. All of the Beryl family are crystalline in origin are composed of Beryllium Aluminum Oxide. Chrysoberyl comes in shades of yellow, ranging in shade and intensity to include bright Canary Yellow, Green-Yellow, or Yellowish-Brown. It is mainly found in Brazil, Sri Lanka, Burma, and Russia. Though it is quite a hard stone (an 8.5 on the Mohs’ hardness scale), it is known to fracture if struck at just the right spot. For this reason, care must be taken if wearing it in a ring–treat it just as you would a precious emerald! Unlike its cousins Emerald and Aquamarine, however, Chrysoberyl is relatively inexpensive.

If you are looking for something a little different, you may be interested in Cat’s Eye Chrysoberyl, if you can find one. This is the name given to a Chrysoberyl with very fine inclusions which create a silvery-white ray that moves across the surface of the stone when it is tilted. The term for this effect is “chatoyancy,” a word itself derived from the name “cat’s eye”. The same property creates the star effect in a Star Sapphire or Star Ruby. However, a cat’s eye chrysoberyl is a beautiful alternative if you are looking for something chatoyant on a more liberal budget. If you want an exceptionally fine Cats Eye, you really need to go to Japan where they are more plentiful. But be forewarned, they are hoarded for the internal market only.

Once you see one, you will either love it or hate it. It is not a stone for just anyone.